New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe Claims IPC’s Athlete of the Month

BONN, Germany, September 18. THE International Paralympic Committee has announced that New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe earned its Athlete of the Month award for August in one of its closest public polls ever.

Pascoe, who won five gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championship in Montreal, Canada, earned 44 percent of the vote on Paralympic.org, just beating out British equestrian rider Sophie Christiansen to win the honors.

Pascoe raced her way to victory in the 50 free S10, 100 free S10, 100 fly S10, 100 breast SB9 and 100 back S10 in Montreal, with world records in the 50, 100 frees and 100 fly.

“It gives me something to work toward looking towards Rio,” Pascoe said of her Montreal performances. “It’s all about perfecting everything now, and doing those little things right. London 2012 was a massive high. We waited for years for it, and then you come down from it on a low in some stages. That happened to me, but then I got out of that and was able to train properly for this meet in Montreal and be in proper position for it.”

Pascoe is one of the top Paralympians in the world at 20 years of age. She’s already an 11-time world champion and six-time Paralympic gold medalist. She helped New Zealand to fourth place overall in the team medal standings in Montreal, finishing behind only Ukraine, Russia and Great Britain.

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